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Touring Washington D.C. can get tiring very quickly, whether because of trying to cover its expansive acreage on foot or in a bus crowded with an exorbitant amount of passengers. ELD Touring Enterprises opts for a less weary mode of transportation, as guides chauffeur groups of six people around the city in minivans and SUVs. This makes each tour private or semi-private, giving sightseers more intimate access to the destinations they're exploring. Longer daytime tours hit many of the major destinations, including Arlington Cemetery and the White House, while evening tours are reserved for those landmarks that are dramatically lit at night, such as the Lincoln Memorial or Teddy Roosevelt's hot tub. Groups can also opt for themed tours, such as an African-American history tour, or work with ELD guides to come up with a custom route.

The Range
Ten 50-yard rifle lanes and fourteen 25-yard pistol lanes
Regular and themed targets featuring zombies and clowns
Ear and eye protection available
The Test Weapons
40 test and evaluation weapons
Options include .40 S&W handguns, .38 Special Revolvers, and .357 SIG handguns
At a Glance
For nearly 40 years, the experts at Maryland Small Arms Range have helped to hone the aim of law-enforcement and security personnel as well as everyday citizens. After range outings, their clients can check out the showroom, where weapons experts advise on firearms, ammunition, and self-defense apparel.

Shake off your long day with a meal from Applebee's, a casual American restaurant.
The menu doesn't include any low-fat items, so set aside some extra calories for your visit.
You'll find a wonderful selection of drinks from Applebee's' full bar to top off your meal.
Parents, bring your kids along to Applebee's, where you'll find a family-friendly menu and ambience.
Make sure to check out Applebee's' happy hour for a great way to decompress from the workday.
Applebee's offers a free wifi hot spot — perfect for surfing the web or getting a little work done.
Applebee's is completely informal — dress as you see fit (and are most comfortable).
Looking for something delicious to serve at your next party? Applebee's also offers catering.
For those in a hurry, the restaurant lets you take your grub to go.
Take advantage of the free parking next door to Applebee's.
At Applebee's, diners can make use of the safe bike rack.
Prices are reasonable, with a typical meal running under $30.

Ranked among Ticketmaster's Top 25 Most Requested Family Events for five consecutive years, UniverSoul Circus grants an interactive spectacle of acrobatic stunts, dance, and comedy set to popular urban sounds. With its swirling lights and pulsing beats, the circus's resemblance to a blowout concert tour is no accident: production designer Tom Marzullo has created internationally touring stage shows for Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, and Prince.
As hosts, a troupe of improv comics slip laughs in between the gasps and draw the crowd even closer into the action. Meanwhile, the production makes jaws drop farther with trained elephants, illusions featuring a live tiger, a head-balancing act from Vietnam, and female contortionists from Ethiopia. These make up just a few of the globally sourced performers, others of whom hail from locales as diverse as Colombia, South Africa, Russia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Sports International's football clinics make MVPs of 7- to 18-year-olds in an intensive, small-group setting with instruction from college and high school coaching staff. The Steve Slaton two-day camp, running July 10–11 in Sugar Land, gives potential pigskin purveyors a comprehensive crash course in offensive and defensive skills from renowned Texans running back Steve Slaton, talented high-school coaches, and a mob of disgruntled footballs. Working in groups no larger than 10, nascent Heisman candidates perform many of the same drills taught by the Texans' coaching staff. Attendees receive a free camp T-shirt and souvenir autograph football but must provide, rent, or manufacture their own playing gear.

Groupon Guide

On this week’s agenda: a musical tribute to Walter Dean Myers, a Labor Day jazz and wine fest, baseball with the Hagerstown Suns, an art exhibit from the Trawick Prize finalists, and acrobatics above 35,000 gallons of water. Enjoy yourselves, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in DC.
13th Annual Page-to-Stage Festival: In His Own Words: A Concert in Tribute to Walter Dean Myers at Kennedy Center Millennium Stage
Foggy Bottom | Saturday, August 30
At the time of his death earlier this summer, Walter Dean Myers had written more than 100 books for children and young adults, including challenging (and oft-challenged) texts such as Fallen Angels and Monster. The Page-to-Stage Festival's theatrical tribute will honor his legacy with music, dance, and spoken-word pieces inspired by his most famous works. (2700 F St. NW; free)
Flo Fest DC 2014 at Gateway DC at St. Elizabeths East
Ward 8 | Monday, September 1
Music, wine, and literature get their day in the sun at Flo Fest DC's end-of-summer bash. Jazz, salsa, and R & B from artists such as Marcus Johnson and The Donvonte McCoy Latin Jazz Orchestra pair well with samples of wine and food from local celebrity chefs, or a contemplative trip to the literary pavilion. (2700 MLK Jr Ave. SE; $45; buy tickets here)
Hagerstown Suns Baseball Game
Hagerstown | Monday, September 1
The Class-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals hosts its final regular-season game against the Lakewood BlueClaws at Municipal Stadium, one of the nation's oldest minor-league ballparks. A win against Lakewood could help the Suns push past their division-leading rivals, the Greensboro Grasshoppers, in the hunt for a South Atlantic League crown. (274 E. Memorial Blvd., Hagerstown, MD; $10; buy tickets here)
The 2014 Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards Exhibit
Tenley Circle | Wednesday, September 3
The Trawick Prize for visual art gives artists in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, a shot at $14,000 in prize money and wider recognition for their work. In this group exhibit, the nine finalists for the 2014 prize showcase their nominated pieces in the gallery of the Bethesda Urban Partnership. (7700 Wisconsin Ave.; free)
Cirque Italia at Sudley Manor Square Shopping Center
Manassas | Wednesday, September 3 through Sunday, September 7
Touting itself as "America's First Water Circus," Cirque Italia blends the gracefulness of the waves with the boisterousness of traditional circus acts. Aerialists and acrobats swing and flip from a trapeze that dangles above a 35,000-gallon water tank during a show that also features a strongman duo, a mermaid act, and a bicycling clown. (7807 Sudley Rd., Manassas, VA; $31; buy tickets here)
Photo courtesy of Cirque Italia

On this week’s agenda: a LEGO festival for kids and adults, a pub crawl to kick off Oktoberfest, and whimsical comedy from Aparna Nancherla. The MLK Jr. Memorial Library celebrates Banned Book Week, and the Folger Consort remembers lute ayres from Shakespeare’s day. Enjoy yourselves, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in DC.
Brick Fest Live LEGO Fan Festival at Maryland State Fairgrounds
Lutherville-Timonium | Through September 21
As children age up, so do the creations they build with LEGO bricks. At Brick Fest Live LEGO Fan Festival, adults and kids engage in a shared love of all things LEGO by building new creations and showing off ornate sculptures. You can also snag custom LEGO accessories, including sci-fi weapons scaled to a LEGO minifig's grasp. (2200 York Rd., Lutherville-Timonium, MD; $22; buy tickets here)
District Oktoberfest at RFD
Chinatown | September 20–21
To kick off a month of celebrating Bavarian culture, bar RFD is hosting a tour of Chinatown watering holes where participants guzzle a 12-ounce pour of each establishment's Oktoberfest speciality. The eight-hour beerathon will drop in at bars such as Iron Horse Tap Room, Penn Social, Jackpot, and Rocket Bar, and all locations will have specials in addition to their included beers. (810 7th St. NW; $25; buy tickets here)
Aparna Nancherla at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage
Foggy Bottom | Monday, September 22, at 6 p.m.
One of the 2013 New Faces at Just for Laughs, Aparna Nancherla brings her brand of whimsical, absurdist, and smart comedy to the Kennedy Center's Theater Lab. A DC native, Nancherla has recently made a name for herself performing standup on Conan and writing and corresponding for FX's Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. (2700 F St. NW; free)
Banned Books Week and Uncensored: The Art Exhibit at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library
Chinatown | Through September 27
The MLK Memorial Library salutes banned books with its new exhibit, Uncensored: The Art Exhibit. The collection showcases paintings, videos, and performance art that explore the concept of censorship. Programming also includes literary crafts for kids in the Children's Room, and a screening of To Kill A Mockingbird (Monday, September 22) to honor the once-banned book of the same title. (901 G St. NW; free)
Courting Elizabeth: Music and Patronage in Shakespeare's England at Folger Elizabethan Theatre
Capitol Hill | Friday, September 26, 8 p.m.
Strumming viols and a lute, the Folger Consort will perform five dances by Elizabethan lutenist John Dowland, who counted the King of Denmark and the Earl of Essex among his patrons. Also on the program: lute ayres and select lyra viol pieces by Scottish composer Tobias Hume. (201 E. Capitol St. SE; $37; buy tickets here)
Photo courtesy of Brick Fest Live

On this week’s agenda: the Maryland Seafood Festival, a Chinese film festival, DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist's tribute to Afrika Bambaataa, lamb meet-and-greets on Old MacDonald’s Farm, and The Fray at the National Zoo. Enjoy yourselves, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in DC.
Maryland Seafood Festival at Sandy Point State Park
Annapolis | Saturday, September 6, and Sunday, September 7
The spirit of Chesapeake Bay inhabits this seaside festival, adding a little extra flavor to the crab cakes, oysters, and local craft beers served throughout. If you're not too full after the corn-on-the-cob-eating contest, check out local art and live music from regional bands including blues act Kelly Bell Band and rockers Bad with Names. (1100 E. College Pkwy., Annapolis, MD; $20; buy tickets here)
Second Biennial DC Chinese Film Festival at Freer Gallery of Art
National Mall | Through Sunday, September 7
Panel discussions and special events accompany screenings of films from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other Chinese communities across the globe. Our pick? Oscar-nominated The Missing Picture, which plays on Sunday and recounts the search for memories and innocence lost during the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror over Cambodia. (1050 Independence Ave. SW; free)
DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist: Renegades of Rhythm Tour at the Fillmore Silver Spring
Silver Spring | Monday, September 8
Instrumental hip-hop pioneer DJ Shadow and Jurassic 5 turntablist Cut Chemist dig deep into Afrika Bambaataa’s personal record collection in celebration of Universal Zulu Nation's 40th anniversary. The duo will explore the farthest reaches of the father of electro funk's library, intermingling genres ranging from breakbeat and hip-hop to disco and electro house. (8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, MD; $21; buy tickets here)
Old MacDonald's Farm at StageCoach Theatre's Outdoor Stage
Leesburg | Through September 14
In Old MacDonald's Farm, the StageCoach Theatre Company uses music and laughter to tell the story of a shy lamb who struggles to make friends with other wildlife. The show is part of StageCoach Theatre for Young Audiences, a season of original productions by local playwrights designed to help families connect with the performing arts. (20850 Oatlands Plantation Ln., Leesburg, VA; free)
Rock-N-Roar with The Fray at the National Zoo
Woodley Park | Friday, September 12
One night each year, the lions, elephants, and pandas of the National Zoo invite human animals over for a music-filled night of dancing and drinks. This year, Grammy-nominated pop-rockers The Fray will entertain crowds with their hits ''Over My Head (Cable Car),'' ''How to Save a Life,'' and tracks from their latest album, Helios. Friends of the National Zoo will also host animal demonstrations throughout the night. (3001 Connecticut Ave. NW; $55; buy tickets here)
Photos courtesy of Maryland Seafood Festival, Cut Chemist, and the Smithsonian National Zoo